The domain of the invention is radio communication systems with mobiles. More precisely, the invention relates to running an application (or at least a part of an application) by a terminal forming part of a mobile station.
In particular, but not exclusively, this mobile station may be included in a GSM (Global System for Mobile communications), DCS 1800 (Digital Cellular System 1800 MHz), PCS 1900 (Personal Communication System), DECT (Digital European Cordless Telecommunications), or UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) type of radio communication system.
Conventionally, a mobile station comprises a terminal (or ME for xe2x80x9cMobile Equipmentxe2x80x9d according to the GSM terminology) cooperating with a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM in the GSM terminology) or DAM xe2x80x9cDECT Authentication Modulexe2x80x9d in the DECT terminology). It should be noted that the mobile station is sometimes also called a mobile radiotelephone or a portable telephone, depending on the system.
Furthermore, this invention is applicable to any type of mobile station, and particularly a mobile station that sends and/or receives voice and/or data. In the case of data transmission/reception, the terminal may be connected to a micro-computer (preferably a portable) that processes transmitted/received data.
In a known manner, in general the terminal can execute a large number of applications called xe2x80x9cterminal applicationsxe2x80x9d in the rest of the description. For example, the terminal can execute service applications (described in more detail below), message output applications (for example such as SMS editors, etc.).
Service applications, when they are executed, enable the terminal to benefit from the service (s) offered by a services server after communication has been setup between the terminal and the services server. These are particularly browsers, that enable the terminal to navigate within an Internet type computer network after a communication has been setup between the terminal and an access platform, or payment and/or booking and/or viewing applications, enabling the terminal to benefit from at least one payment and/or booking and/or viewing service offered by a services server, after a communication has been setup between the terminal and the services server.
At the present time, the decision to run an application (or at least part of an application) is always made in the terminal, either xe2x80x9cautomaticallyxe2x80x9d by the terminal itself, or by the user by choosing a function (which may be proposed) This choice is usually offered to the user through a terminal main application, sometimes also called a xe2x80x9cterminal menuxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cmanufacturer""s menuxe2x80x9d that the user uses to choose a function among the set of functions available on the terminal. Obviously, the terminal manufacturer would like to propose the most extensive possible choice of functions in his xe2x80x9cmanufacturer""s menuxe2x80x9d, and designs his terminal with this purpose in mind.
For example, it is already possible with some mobile stations to access an Internet type computer network. In order to do this, the terminal must have a special key (Internet access key) that can be used to make the terminal start a browser (which is a specific terminal application). In the manufacturer""s menu on this type of terminal, the User is prompted to choose the xe2x80x9cInternet accessxe2x80x9d function by pressing on the xe2x80x9cInternet access keyxe2x80x9d. The following procedure is used to access the worldwide Internet network; after the user has pressed the xe2x80x9cInternet access keyxe2x80x9d, the terminal attempts to setup communication with an access platform; if this communication is successfully setup, the terminal starts the browser so that the terminal can browse the Internet network. In summary, in the mobile station, only the terminal is involved since the Internet access key that attempts to setup communication with the access platform which starts the browser is located on the terminal.
It is found that there are several disadvantages if the decision to run an application (or at least part of it) is always made in the terminal.
Firstly, this implies that the user is not completely free in the choice of its terminal, since it may or may not be possible to run a specific application from a particular terminal depending on the terminal (corresponding to whether or not a specific function is available).
For example, in the case mentioned above of the access to an Internet type computer network, the user must choose a terminal with an xe2x80x9cInternet access keyxe2x80x9d. Also, regardless of the operator to which he has subscribed, the user is constrained in his access to the Internet type computer network by technical choices made by the manufacturer of his terminal. In particular, the user does not choose the number of the access platform, or information useful to the browser after it has been started, for example such as IP (Internet Protocol) type numbers, secret browser authentication keys and/or data encryption keys, short message service center (SMS Center) numbers, etc.
Furthermore, this implies a limitation in the number of functions offered by the xe2x80x9cOperator applicationxe2x80x9d (or xe2x80x9cSIM applicationxe2x80x9d, or xe2x80x9coperator menuxe2x80x9d). Remember that the xe2x80x9coperator menuxe2x80x9d is stored in the subscriber identification module and is executed by it. The various operators propose different xe2x80x9coperator menusxe2x80x9d to their subscribers through the subscriber identification module that they distribute and which are specific to them. Obviously, each operator attempts to offer a maximum number of functions within his xe2x80x9coperator menuxe2x80x9d. However, the operator menu can only propose functions that correspond to terminal applications that can be run by the terminal under the control of the subscriber identification module. Other functions (that correspond to terminal applications that can only be run by the terminal under the control of the terminal itself) cannot be included within the xe2x80x9cmanufacturer""s menuxe2x80x9d (already discussed above).
It should be noted that the same function (for example an Internet access function) may be proposed in the xe2x80x9coperatorxe2x80x9d menu and in the xe2x80x9cmanufacturerxe2x80x9d menu.
One particular purpose of the invention is to overcome these various disadvantages in the state of the art.
More precisely, one of the objectives of this invention is to provide a process by which an application (or at least part of an application) can be run by a terminal under the control of a subscriber identification module.
Another purpose of the invention is to propose one or several additional functions within an xe2x80x9coperator menuxe2x80x9d, namely one or several functions that can be run by the terminal under the control of the subscriber identification module.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide this type of process by which a user can access the services server starting from any mobile station (in the sense that this mobile station is not necessarily provided with an Internet access key like that mentioned above). To the best knowledge of the inventor, at the moment no existing xe2x80x9coperator menuxe2x80x9d offers xe2x80x9caccess to a services serverxe2x80x9d (for example such as a xe2x80x9cInternet accessxe2x80x9d) among the possible choices.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide a similar process enabling the user to access a services server using technical choices made by his operator (rather than by his terminal manufacturer).
An additional objective of the invention is to supply a similar process that is easy to use and inexpensive.
This various objectives, and others that will become clear later, are achieved according to the invention by means of a process by which the terminal runs at least part of a terminal application, under the control of a subscriber identification module cooperating with the said terminal, the said subscriber identification module and the said terminal being included within a mobile station included in a radio communication system, the said process comprising the following steps:
the subscriber identification module sends a command to the terminal, for the terminal to run at least part of a terminal application;
the terminal executes the said start command, to run the said terminal application, or part of it, and to take control.
Therefore, the general purpose of the invention is to initiate the procedure by which the terminal runs a terminal application (or part of an application), from the subscriber identification module (and not in the terminal itself). This has never been envisaged in the past since the natural reaction of an expert in the subject has always been that the terminal should initiate this type of startup because the terminal application is located on the terminal and is executed by the terminal.
In order to enable to implement the process according to this invention, the subscriber identification module must be capable of generating a new type of command, namely an xe2x80x9capplication start commandxe2x80x9d, and the terminal must be capable of recognizing it and executing it.
After it has been started, the terminal runs the terminal application in the conventional manner and therefore it will not be described in more detail herein.
In a first embodiment of the invention, the said process comprises the following steps:
the subscriber identification module sends a specific command to the terminal, to make it run at least part of a terminal application, the said specific command being specific to the said part (or all) of a terminal application;
the terminal executes the said specific command, to run the said part or all of a terminal application and to take control.
Thus in this first embodiment, a command specific to the application (or part of the application) to be run is used.
Advantageously, the said specific command belongs to a set comprising several specific distinct commands, such that each can run at least part of a distinct terminal application.
Preferably, each specific command is a new command in the xe2x80x9cSIM Application Toolkitxe2x80x9d command set. Remember that this type of command includes a mutual identification and/or authentication mechanism between the terminal and the subscriber identification module, and/or confirmation by the user of commands entered in the terminal (so that the terminal cannot execute commands unknown to the user). For further information about the xe2x80x9cSIM Application Toolkitxe2x80x9d, refer to the ETSI standard xe2x80x9cGSM 11.14 (Phase 2+)xe2x80x9d, which is inserted here by reference.
In a second particular embodiment of the invention, the said process comprises the following steps:
the subscriber identification module sends a first generic command to the terminal, to make the terminal start a second specific command to run at least part of a terminal application, the said first generic command including at least an identifier of the second specific command as a parameter, the said second specific command being specific to the said part (or all) of a terminal application;
the terminal executes, the said first generic command so as to extract the said second specific command, and then executes the said second specific command so as to run the said part (or all) of a terminal application and to take control.
Thus in this second embodiment, a first generic command is used in which a second command specific to the application (or part of application) to be run is xe2x80x9cencapsulatedxe2x80x9d.
Advantageously, the second specific command belongs to a set comprising a number of second distinct specific commands, each of which can run at least part of a distinct terminal application.
Preferably, the said second specific command is an xe2x80x9cATxe2x80x9d command. In other words, it is a new and ingenious use of existing or future AT commands. Thus, the cost of developing new commands is eliminated, or reduced. Remember that xe2x80x9cAT commandsxe2x80x9d (or xe2x80x9cATtention commandsxe2x80x9d) were originally designed to enable a TE xe2x80x9cTerminal Equipmentxe2x80x9d, for example a computer) to order an ME xe2x80x9cMobile Equipmentxe2x80x9d or radio communication terminal) to which it is connected, to carry out specific predetermined actions. Further information about these xe2x80x9cAT commandsxe2x80x9d is given firstly in the ETSI standard xe2x80x9cGSM 07.07xe2x80x9d and secondly in the ITU-T recommendation V25ter, which are inserted here by reference. Remember also that some AT commands were developed by different manufacturers and are not standardized (they are said to be xe2x80x9cproprietaryxe2x80x9d).
Preferably, the first said generic command is a new command in the xe2x80x9cSIM application Toolkitxe2x80x9d command set.
Preferably, the said step in which the subscriber identification module sends the start command to the terminal is associated with a choice of an additional function, the said choice being offered to a user when the said subscriber identification module executes an operator application, the said send step being carried out if the user validates the choice of the said associated function. Thus, the operator application (or xe2x80x9coperator menuxe2x80x9d) can include one or several new functions.
Advantageously, the said terminal application, at least part of which is run by the terminal, belongs to the group comprising:
service applications which, if executed, enable the terminal to benefit from the service(s) offered by a services server after communication has been setup between the said terminal and the said services server;
message editing applications;
agenda editing applications.
This list is in no way exhaustive. In particular, agenda editing applications include subscriber agendas (ADN for xe2x80x9cAbbreviated Dialing Numbersxe2x80x9d and FDN for xe2x80x9cFixed Dialing Numbersxe2x80x9d) and operator agendas (SDN for xe2x80x9cServices Dialing Numbersxe2x80x9d).
It should be noted that in the case of an access to a services server (including running a services application), the process according to the invention in no way imposes that the terminal is provided with a xe2x80x9cservices server access keyxe2x80x9d.
Some particular examples of the said services are:
browsers, which enable the terminal to browse through an Internet type computer network, after a communication has been setup between the terminal and an access platform;
payment and/or booking and/or viewing applications, enabling the terminal to benefit from at least one payment service and/or booking and/or viewing service available through a services server, after communication has been setup between the terminal and the server.
Advantageously, if the terminal application is a services application, the said specific command is configured with the set of parameters comprising:
a services server telephone number identifier, and
possibly, one or more call parameters, and the step in which the terminal executes the said specific command comprises the following steps:
the terminal attempts to setup a communication with the said services server, according to the said parameter set;
if the said communication with the services server is actually setup, the terminal starts execution of the said part or all of the services application, such that the terminal can benefit from the service(s) offered by the said services server.
The invention also relates to a subscriber identification module of the type included in a mobile station in a radio communication system cooperating with a terminal, comprising means of implementing the above-mentioned process in which the said terminal runs part or all of a terminal application, under the control of the said subscriber identification module.
The invention also relates to a terminal of the type included in a mobile station in a radio communication system and cooperating with a subscriber identification module, comprising means of implementing the above mentioned process in which the said terminal runs at least part of a terminal application, under the control of the said subscriber identification module.